


The Fluxweed Incident

by Dreamy_Dragon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: sshg_giftfest, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 21:00:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9202991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamy_Dragon/pseuds/Dreamy_Dragon
Summary: Severus is out for a little walk in the moonlight – with unexpected results.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iqeret](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=iqeret).



It wasn't a dark and stormy night. If it had been, this would be an entirely different story. Or perhaps, there wouldn't be a story at all. 

What it was was a clear, cold night; the full moon cast the bare treetops surrounding the clearing into stark relief against the dark winter sky. There was a faint rustling somewhere in the underwood. Severus tilted his head, listening whilst his hand crept towards his wand. After a moment the rustling grew fainter and then disappeared. Just another creature of the night minding its own business. Severus drew his scarf tighter around him and went back to collecting Fluxweed. 

Blissful silence reigned as he systematically went through the clearing, filling his satchel with the plants. He was concentrating on extracting a particularly stubborn weed and didn’t notice that a dark shadow had appeared in the sky and was rapidly approaching. 

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. The moon was no longer visible and the wind picked up. Severus's head shot up to see a large dragon flying towards him. Common Welsh Green, his mind helpfully supplied before coming to a stuttering halt. What the hell was a dragon doing here? Without realising it, he had pulled out his wand, but it was already too late. He found himself wrapped in the dragon's claws, his wand falling to the ground, as the clearing disappeared rapidly beneath him. 

They rose swiftly. Severus kept very still whilst the air around him became colder. His hands started to become as numb with cold as his brain was with shock. He risked a peek downwards. The ground seemed to be very far below. Too far for his taste. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Then another. And another. 

He opened his eyes again, avoiding to look down this time. Instead he tried to make out where they were going. Apparently, they were flying further north. 

'What do you want with me?' he shouted, but the dragon didn't listen or it didn't hear him. 

What _did_ it want with him? Surely there were tastier morsels between here and wherever they were headed? And if this particular dragon's favourite snack was scrawny Potions master, why bother carrying him somewhere? Something didn't add up here. It seemed the best option for now was what Slytherins did best anyway – assess the situation and wait for an opportunity. Not that he really had another option, but pretending he had a plan sounded much better. 

He lost track of time as he tried to come up with possible ways to get out of this. He considered a wandless stunner, but dragons were notoriously unaffected by most spells unless one considered Darker options like the Conjunctivitis curse. Severus didn't object to Dark magic on principle, but he doubted that a dragon suddenly going blind in full flight would increase his chance of survival.

He became even colder with each passing minute as they continued to fly northwards. When he risked another downward glance, he saw that they were flying over a large body of water now. He hoped it was a lake and not the North Sea. 

Back over the mainland, the dragon finally began descending towards what looked like a very high mountain range. Severus saw that they were rapidly moving towards a small ledge right beneath them. The dragon couldn't seriously think it would fit on _that_? 

Before he had time to finish his thought, the dragon barely grazed the ledge before it flew into what appeared to be a large cave. It deposited him with surprising gentleness on a heap of something soft. Then, it took a few steps back as if unsure what to do now. It approached him after a moment, its snout stopping a few inches from Severus' face. He could make out the scales on its face; they were of an iridescent green, a bit darker than those on its body. Its eyes were brown, and for now they looked more confused than actually predatory. 

Severus forced himself to remain still as the dragon looked him over The expression in its eyes changed to something he couldn't quite name; it looked longing almost wistful and there was an intensity in the dragon's gaze that sent a shiver down his spine.

The dragon continued to look at him for what seemed like an eternity until it lay down with something that sounded almost like a sigh and curled around him. Severus didn't dare to move as the dragon closed its eyes and went to sleep. At least he wasn't quite as cold anymore. Who would have thought that dragons produced that much body heat?

He waited until he was sure the dragon was fast asleep, amusing himself with reciting the twelve uses of dragon blood in his mind, plus all the other potion ingredients that could be harvested from a dragon. After what seemed like an eternity, he concentrated on the image of his living room. Nothing happened. 

_Bloody hell. Focus. Destination, determination, deliberation._

Again, nothing. A nasty suspicion crept up Severus' spine. He tried to Accio a little stone near the cave's entrance to no avail. That left two conclusions. Either he had suddenly lost his ability to do magic. Possible, but not likely. Or the cave was warded against magic. His eyes narrowed. What dragon would know to ward its lair like this?

He needed another option. Perhaps the wards would be weaker nearer to the cave's entrance? He tried to creep towards the opening, only to find a dragon's eye staring at him. Not that fast asleep, then. He stilled once more. The dragon shut its eye again before it curled a little closer around him. 

He tried twice more, but every time the dragon's eye stared him down, making it clear that Very Bad Things would happen if he tried to leave, though so far it had proved to be surprisingly gentle. He lay still, staring into the darkness, trying to come up with a plan to get out of this.

^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ 

His hands were icy. In fact everything was cold. Stupid fire must have gone out overnight, and apparently he had managed to throw his duvet off again as well. Severus sighed; his neck and shoulders were aching. He opened his eyes and shot up so quickly, he nearly hit his head on something hard and ragged.

Ah, yes. The dragon, the night flight and the cave. Obviously not a nightmare, then. At least he was still alive and not a puddle of something in a dragon's tummy. He looked around. The dragon was gone. At least for now. Time to be gone as well. 

He walked to the cave's opening, getting ready to fly when there was the telltale sound of another person Apparating. His hand was at the other person's throat as soon as they had materialised. 

And just as quickly there was a wand digging into _his_ throat. Not many people had reflexes that were that good. He found himself staring at his colleague, Hermione Granger. 

She lowered her wand as he removed his hand from her throat. 'What in Merlin's name are you doing here?' he greeted her.

'And good morning to you, too.'

'That remains to be seen. For now I suggest we get out of here. In case you haven't noticed this is a dragon's lair; so if you don't mind, I'd rather be elsewhere before the dragon comes back and decides I make a tasty breakfast snack after all.' 

Hermione had a strange look on her face. 'I think we're safe for now,' she said.

Severus narrowed his eyes at her.

'Breakfast does sound good, though,' she continued. 'There's a little café down in Portree that does a very nice breakfast.'

'Is that where we are? Skye?'

Hermione nodded. 'The Black Cuilin in fact.'

Something was very weird here. 'Don't you live on Skye?'

She made a non-commital sound, then added, 'Breakfast?' 

His stomach growled in response, but he wanted answers first. 'How did you find me? This cave is warded against magic, so how could you Apparate in here? What is going on?' His voice became louder with every word.

'I'll answer your questions, but for now I need coffee,' Hermione snapped.

Meanwhile Severus had cast a recognition spell – there were no wards here at the cave's entrance – and confirmed that she was indeed Hermione Granger, his colleague, almost his friend, though he rarely admitted that, and now apparently his rescuer? In any case, she seemed to be his best opportunity to get out of the dragon's lair, so when she offered him her arm for side-along Apparition he took it – albeit with ill grace.

^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ 

Twenty minutes later they were sat at a table in Café Arriba, steaming mugs in front of them. Severus doctored his tea – two sugars, splash of milk – to his liking and took a sip. The hot liquid running down his throat felt like bliss. He was alive and warm.

Hermione hadn't said a word since she had offered to Apparate them down to Portree. Severus watched her over the rim of his mug, waiting. She was looking anywhere but at him. Today her hair looked even worse than usual, reminding him of a bird's nest. She was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. He was about to say something when their waitress arrived with their plates – big breakfast for him, and the vegetarian option for Hermione.

They spent a few more minutes in silence, tucking into their food. His most immediate needs taken care of, Severus decided that he wanted a few answers. Now.

'How did you find me?' he asked. 

Instead of answering, Hermione put her fork down and used her wand beneath the table to cast _Muffliato_. After taking another sip from her mug, she finally looked at him. He didn't need Legilimency to see that she looked vaguely guilty. 

'How long have we been working together?' she began.

'You know it's been almost two years, but I fail to see what that has to do with anything.' 

'And we make a good team, wouldn't you say?'

Severus refrained from tapping his fingers on the tabletop. Barely. 'You are more tolerable than most, I suppose.'

Hermione smiled at his compliment before she continued. 'Now, I want you to remember that before you start shouting or worse.'

This explained her sudden desire to have breakfast at a Muggle place, no chance for hexes to fly here. It didn't explain anything else, though. 'Granger, stop waffling. I'm grateful you attempted to come to my rescue, but I still want to know. How. Did. You. Find. Me?'

Silence.

'Granger, today if possible.'

Hermione drew a deep breath. 'Ifoundyoubecausethecaveismine.'

'Sorry?'

'I found you because the cave is mine,' she repeated, once more not looking at him.

'Yours? In case you haven't noticed, there is a dragon living in it. A dragon that very nearly ate me for breakfast. Do you plan on adopting it as a pet?'

'I know about the dragon. And no.'

'Then what? What is it with you today, Granger? You are not making any sense.' 

Again, Hermione was silent, looking almost sheepish as she took something out of the pocket of her trousers. When she opened her hand, there was a tiny pile of familiar-looking iridescent green scales in it. 

Severus looked from her hand to her face and then at her hand again. The only logical explanation was so absurd that it made a surprising amount of sense. 

'You mean…'

'Yes, I'm the dragon.'

Severus stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time, trying to digest what she had just said. It felt like an icy fist was closing around his heart. 

He got to his feet. 'Thought it was funny, playing a little prank on me, did you.'

'No, I—'

'You what?'

'I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't mean to—'

Severus did wait for her to finish her sentence. He walked out of the café, into the sunlit street, not seeing where he was actually going. He only stopped when he had left the Muggle settlement behind to find himself standing at the water's edge. The sea glittered in the winter sunlight, still and peaceful. He blasted a couple of smaller rocks into smithereens before he spun out of sight.

^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ 

Hermione sent several owls over the next few days. Severus didn't answer any of her apologetic letters, but instead came up with increasingly creative ways to destroy the missives. On Wednesday, she sent an owl that was apparently instructed to wait for an answer.

Severus glared at the barn owl sitting on his desk. The owl glared back.

'Shoo,' he said.

The owl looked mildly offended. 

'Fine.' He grabbed a piece of parchment.

_Granger,_

_stop pestering me._

_S._

There was no owl on Thursday. Severus was almost disappointed as he worked his way through the latest stack of pesky paperwork. Apparently being a freelance consultant and working from home – only because it was convenient, not because he was avoiding Hermione – didn't save him from having to deal with said pesky paperwork.

He should have known that it was too good to last. On Friday, Hermione's barn owl was tapping on his window again. He sighed, but this time he did read her letter.

 _Mr Snape,_ …

He put the letter down, snorting. Obviously he had reverted from "Severus" to "Mr Snape" again, just like in the first months of their working together. He hadn't lied when he had called her "more tolerable than most." She was. She was one of the very few people who could keep up with him in a conversation, and she wasn't put off by his sarcasm. In fact, she had even called him witty on occasion. Plus, she was nice to look at. He had hoped they could be friends or something – until he had found himself in her dragon's lair. He still had no idea what that had been all about. Severus picked up the letter again. 

_I understand that you probably never want to talk to me again, and I have already talked to Mr Malfoy about assigning me another partner._

_Let me say once again that I am really, really sorry about what happened. I didn't know what I was doing, but I am sure that I did not intend to cause you any harm._

_Will you at least accept my apology?_

_Sincerely,_

_H. Granger_

With a put-upon sigh, he took a piece of parchment and a quill.

_~~Granger~~ Hermione,_

_I will accept your apology if you ~~bugger off~~ leave me alone._

_S. Snape_

There was no owl on Saturday.

^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ 

Sunday found Severus, as usual, at Malfoy manor for lunch. Also as usual both food and wine were excellent if a trifle too posh for his taste. At least this time, Narcissa had refrained from inviting a single witch of suitable age and good standing. Perhaps, she had finally given up on her matchmaking attempts. He had no desire to become involved with anyone. His status as a tragic war hero, thanks to the boy-who-managed-to-live-yet-again-and-be-a-pain-in-the-arse, guaranteed him a shag with a willing witch whenever he felt like it. Anything more was too complicated, plus the only witch since Lily who had proven to be intelligent, well-read, and beautiful happened to be the very same witch he was avoiding at the moment.

After lunch, Narcissa discreetly disappeared, leaving the two men in the blue salon in front of a roaring fire.

'Ah, the benefits of changing times,' Lucius remarked, gazing fondly at his glass of single malt.

Severus raised an eyebrow. 'You have been drinking expensive Muggle whisky right under the Dark Lord's nose for years.'

'But now I can do it openly. There's something refreshing about being straightforward, don't you think?'

'Lucius, you wouldn't know straightforward if it bit you on the arse.' 

Lucius' eyebrows met his hairline. 'Honestly, do you have to be so blunt? One might think your colleague's demeanour is rubbing off on you.'

So this was where the conversation was headed. Severus took a fortifying sip of his own whisky.

'What have you done to the lovely Miss Granger?' asked Lucius.

Lucius thought Granger was lovely, did he? Severus narrowed his eyes, anger rising like a hot tide, threatening to choke him as his hand twitched towards his – retrieved – wand. He drew a deep breath. 'What have _I_ done to her? Shouldn't the question be what she has done to me? And may I remind you that we're both working as freelance consultants, so this isn't really any of your business, is it?' said Severus.

'Oh, pish posh.' Lucius waved his objection away. 'Surely, you're not still miffed about the little scaly incident?'

'The little scaly incident? Is that what you call it?' Severus set his glass down on the side table with a bang.

Lucius shrugged.

Then something else registered. 'You knew. You knew she was a were-dragon, and you didn't think to tell me?' he shouted. 

Lucius set down his glass as well. 'Before you start doing something rash, old friend, may I remind you that Narcissa doesn't take kindly to any damage to the furniture?' He was watching him, his hand ever so casually moving closer to where his wand was hidden in his sleeve. 

Severus forced himself to unclench his fist and lean back into the cushions of his armchair. 

Lucius relaxed visibly. 'It's not really my story to tell.' His expression clearly aimed for innocence but didn't quite get there.

'Lucius.'

'She isn't a were-dragon. She's a shapeshifter. In time she'll learn to control her abilities.'

'But how?'

'Remember the assignment to Romania last month? When she went alone?'

Severus nodded.

'There was a little skirmish, and there was one spell she didn't manage to dodge. It seemed harmless at the time, but well…' Another eloquent shrug. 

Severus leant forward. 'Is there a counter-spell?'

Lucius shook his head. 'Not as far as we know. Miss Granger is still researching it, but for now it looks like she'll have to learn to live with her newfound abilities.'

'Hmmm,' said Severus.

Lucius stretched out his legs in front of him, his expression clearly saying that he knew something Severus didn't. 'You really don't know what this is all about, do you?'

'Pray do enlighten me.'

'She has chosen you as her mate. That's why she carried you off to her lair.' A smile had appeared on Lucius face.

Oh.

'Don't be silly. She'd never…'

_Oh._

The idea wasn't entirely unpleasant. 'I mean, she couldn't simply have asked me to dinner or something?' 

Lucius threw up his hands. 'Don't ask me. That's between you two, but I expect you both to return to working for me at some point. As a team.'

'And you, of course, have no ulterior motive in telling me all this.'

'Don't insult me. I always have at least three ulterior motives.'

^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ 

There was no owl on Monday, nor on any of the following days, leaving Severus plenty of time to mull over the implications and possibilities of what Lucius had told him.

On Thursday he couldn't avoid going into the office he shared with Hermione any longer. 

He found her sitting at her desk when he arrived. As usual there were folders and reference books strewn all over it with a lonely mug sitting in between. Her hair was in a messy bun, and there was a smear of ink on her cheek. She looked up as he came in. 

'I'll go,' she said, haphazardly grabbing a few pages and getting up.

'Don't be silly. Stay.' Severus walked over to his own desk, took out his files and sat down as if this was an ordinary workday.

Hermione didn't say anything but put her parchment back down and went on checking references. 

They worked in silence. Occasionally Severus would sneak a glance at her, once or twice catching her looking at him, too. 

The silence felt increasingly awkward. With a sigh, Severus put down his quill. 'Look—'

'I—' Hermione said at the same time.

'Do not apologise again.'

'But I really am sorry for what happened.' She looked down at her desk as if she was searching for something, then she looked at him again.

'I know, and I also know that you didn't know what you were doing at the time,' he said. 

'Yes, I… Wait who told you?' 

'Lucius.'

'Of course.' Her eyes narrowed. 'What exactly did he tell you?'

'That you were cursed on your last assignment. That you'll learn to control your abilities in time…' 

Hermione kept looking at him. 

Severus hesitated. 

'And?' she prompted.

'And the possible motive for your actions,' he mumbled.

Hermione turned pink. 

'You could have simply asked me out,' he said.

'I didn't think you were interested.'

'You might have been surprised.' 

'Well, would you?' asked Hermione.

'Would I what?' 

'Go out with me. Have a drink? Or dinner.' Warm brown eyes were looking hopefully at him, just like the dragon had – only a little less scary. 

'Yes, I would.' He reached across the desk and took her hand in his.

Hermione smiled at him, causing his heart to beat a little faster.

'You're actually a beautiful dragon.'

'Really?'

He nodded. 'Terrifying, but beautiful.'

'Perhaps we could fly together sometime?'

'I'd like that very much.'

^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ 

_To: Severus Snape, Esq._

_Mr and Mrs Lucius Malfoy request the pleasure of your company_  
at the annual Christmas ball  
to be held Friday 23 December  
Malfoy Manor Wilts. 

_Rsvp._

_PS:  
Severus,_

_I'll be happy to arrange for a suitable witch to accompany you._

_Warm regards,_

_Narcissa._

^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ ^o^ 

_Narcissa,_

_thank you both for the invitation. No additional arrangements will be necessary. Miss Granger will be escorting me._

_Best wishes,_

_Severus_

^o^ fin ^o^ 

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> The Potterverse doesn't belong to me - I only borrow.  
> Many thanks to Gelsey for the beta <3  
> Originally written as a pressie for iqeret during the sshg_giftfest 2016 on livejournal.


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